Christian Horner has hit back at a question from a F1 journalist about his assistant, Nicole Carling.
It was recently claimed that Carling is back in the fold at Red Bull, with the employee 'organising Horner's diary' following the recent investigation into the 50-year-old.
A Red Bull employee alleged inappropriate behaviour, with Horner always denying allegations of misconduct.
He was then cleared by the F1 side and has since proceeded to oversee races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Japan.
Christian Horner has hit back at a question about his assistant amid the ongoing Red Bull saga
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It recently emerged that Carling had returned to Red Bull.
But Horner was in no mood to talk about her return when quizzed on the matter shortly after the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Briton admitted he was 'surprised' to receive a question on the subject after Max Verstappen cruised to victory.
And Horner hit back by saying: "Yes. I'm surprised that I'm talking about my assistant in a briefing.
"But, yes, my assistant of 15 years is in a temporary supporting position."
Horner has continued to work at Red Bull as normal.
And the team have enjoyed a successful start to the new season, despite the chaos behind the scenes.
Verstappen has won three of the first four races of the campaign, with the 26-year-old continuing his dominance after shining last year.
While he failed to win the Australian Grand Prix, his performance in Japan showed that was merely an off-day for the defending champion.
Sergio Perez has also done well, despite the uncertainty over his future.
The Mexican driver will be a free agent at the end of the season and continues to be linked with a move away from the team.
Horner, however, is happy with the way the 34-year-old has been performing despite suggestions Red Bull could bring Carlos Sainz Jr back into the fold.
"It's his seat to lose," he told Sky Sports.
"He's doing a great job, I mean he qualified within a tenth of a second yesterday, by far his best qualifying performance round here.
"And I think that you can see his confidence is growing and I think his performance in the race was very strong today.
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Christian Horner was coy when quizzed on Sergio Perez after the Japanese Grand Prix
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"So his third second place of the year and doing everything that's needed of him."
Meanwhile, though Horner has been cleared of misconduct, his accuser remains suspended by Red Bull on full pay.
And a close friend recently told BBC Sport that she was very 'upset, angry, scared, intimidated and lonely' amid her time away from the F1 side.
"It's impossible for people to understand what it's like for her," the friend was quoted as saying.
"She can't talk and she won't talk.
Christian Horner has continued to work as normal at Red Bull amid the ongoing saga
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"But I can tell you what it is doing to her.
"Every time I have asked her something, she breaks down in tears and says she's got no-one to talk to because she's not allowed to talk.
"She is very upset, very angry, very scared, very intimidated, very lonely.
"And I think it's impossible for people to understand without being in her shoes what it's like for her."
